Kardzhali

Kardzhali Кърджали
Karzdhali from the Rhodopes mountains
Coat of arms
Kardzhali Location of Kardzhali
Coordinates: 41°39′N 25°22′E / 41.650°N 25.367°E / 41.650; 25.367Coordinates: 41°39′N 25°22′E / 41.650°N 25.367°E / 41.650; 25.367
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Kardzhali
Government
• Mayor	Hasan Azis Ismail (MRF)
Area
• Total	30.759 km2 (11.876 sq mi)
Elevation	275 m (902 ft)
Population (Census February 2011)
• Total	43,880
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	6600
Area code(s)	0361
Website	Official website

Kardzhali (Bulgarian: Кърджали, Turkish: Kırcaali; sometimes spelt Kardzali or Kurdzhali) is a town in the Eastern Rhodopes in Bulgaria, centre of Kardzhali Municipality and Kardzhali Province. The noted Kardzhali Dam is located nearby.

Named after the 14th-century Ottoman conqueror Kırca Ali, from the Turkish name Kirca and the Arabic name Ali, derived from an Arabic root which means "high" or "Elevated".

Kardzhali is located in the low eastern part of Rhodope Mountains, on both banks of the river Arda between the Kardzhali Reservoir to the west and the Studen Kladenets Reservoir to the east. The town is 260 km (162 mi) southeast of Sofia. It has a crossroad position from Thrace to the Aegean Sea — part of European transportation route 9, via the Makaza mountain pass.

Kardzhali has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the (Köppen Climate Classification). It is mainly dry all year round with the wettest month being December with just ten days of rainfall. The city has hot summers and cold winters.

The area where the town of Kardzhali is now located has been inhabited since the Neolithic. Many artifacts, comprising ceramics and primitive tools, have been found during the archaeological excavations. Most of them are now exhibited in the local historical museum.